Pai Gow poker online

Online Pai Gow Poker is not the same at Pai Gow. While the former is a Chinese game of dominos available at Asian casinos, the latter is an online casino poker variant played in the West. Some people also call it Double-handed Poker. Although related, the two games stand in a class of their own.

This page is an online Pai Gow Poker guide for beginners. Read on to learn about the main features and rules of the game, how to play it, odds of winning, best Pai Gow Poker strategies, different types of Pai Gow Poker, and so on.

You will find the following information on this page:

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Top-Rated Online Pai Gow Poker Casinos in Canada

Online Pai Gow Poker Rules Explained

Online pai gow poker main rules

Pai Gow Poker requires a standard deck of 52 playing cards plus a joker. Six players can play the game at a time along with a dealer. You have to create two hands out of seven cards. You aim to beat the banker, who can be one of the players at the table, the dealer, or a team comprising a player and the dealer.

The following is a guide that shows you how to play Pai Gow Poker online:

  • At the start of the game, you will receive seven cards.
  • You have to create two poker hands with your seven cards – a five-card high hand and a two-card low hand.
  • Place bets on the hands you have just created
  • Your high hand should be stronger than your low hand.
  • Once you have created your hands, the dealer reveals the banker's hands.
  • The game can have one of three outcomes—you win both hands, the dealer wins both hands, you win one hand and the dealer wins one hand.
  • In case of a tie, the dealer wins the bet.

Card values and combinations in Pai Gow Poker

Online pai gow poker winning combinations

A joker can replace any card in the deck or act as an ace. If a player has a chance to complete one of hands, such as straight, flush, royal flush, or straight flush, they can use the joker to substitute any card. If that’s not the case, joker will act as an ace. All standard poker rules apply, save the Ace-2-3-4-5 sequence which is the second highest straight. Application of this rule varies from casino to casino.

The hands are grouped into High and Low cards. The High Hand is a standard poker hand of 5 cards, whereas the Low Hand has 2 cards. The 2-card hand cannot be higher in rank than the 5-card, as this results in a foul. Because there are seven cards in total, it is up to the player to organize cards and split anyway he likes.

Here is a table that describes the card values and combinations in online Pai Gow Poker:

Online pai gow poker hand combinations
Hand Description Payout
Royal Flush Ace, Queen, King, Joker, Ten of the same suit 2000:1
Straight Flush Five, Six, Seven, Eight, and Nine of the same suit in sequence 50:1
4 of a Kind Four cards having the same value 25:1
Full House Three cards of the same rank plus two cards of the same rank 5:1
Flush Five cards of the same suit but not in sequence 4:1
Straight Five consecutive cards from different suits 2:1

Bonus payouts

If you want to have more options to win more money, you need to place a bonus bet. Bonus hand payouts are as follows:

Online pai gow poker - bonus payouts
Hand Description Payout
7-card Straight Flush e.g. 5-6-7-8-9-10-J all hearts 8000:1
Royal Flush and 2-2 e.g. 10-J-Q-K-A hearts plus a pair of twos 2000:1
7-card Straight Flush including Joker e.g. 5-6-7-8-9-10-J plus Joker 1000:1
Five aces four aces plus the Joker 400:1

Understanding Pai Gow Poker Main Features

Are you finding online casino games such as Casino Hold'em dull? In that case, you have to play Pai Gow Poker, which you will find at almost every top-rated online casino in the industry.

Playing Pai Gow Poker at online casinos involves the following moves:

  • Online pai gow poker - Place a bet

    Place a Bet

    Place a bet before you receive seven cards. Some variants of Pai Gow Poker allow you to make a bonus bet on certain hands.
  • Online pai gow poker - the deal move

    The Deal

    Once all players have placed their bets, each player receives seven face-down cards from a hand of 52 cards plus a joker. The dealer leaves the unused cards face down.
  • Online pai gow poker - Creat your hands

    Create Your Hands

    Place your hand of five cards at the back and your hand of two cards in the front.
  • Online pai gow poker - show down

    Showdown

    Each player's hands are then compared to the banker's hands.
  • Online pai gow poker - payouts

    Payouts

    You win your bet if both your hands are better than the banker's. You lose your bet if both your hands are worse than the banker's.

Know Your Odds to Win

Online pai gow poker oddsAre you new to Pai Gow Poker? You don’t have to place real money bets right away. Instead, you can get started playing for free. Later, you can wager real money on the game. Before playing Pai Gow Poker for real money, you have to understand your odds of winning.

If you get lucky, you can win up to 8000 times your bet amount while playing Pai Gow Poker. The game has a house edge of 2.84%, most of which comes from the game resulting in a tie plus the 5% commission you have to pay the house on your winnings. The house edge reduces to 1.42% if you choose to be a banker.

Players have equal odds of receiving a card over the other. There is no strategy to get favourable cards, but knowing how to create strong poker hands from a set of existing cards acts greatly in your favour.

The following are the odds of creating various hands in Pai Gow Poker:

Online pai gow poker odds
HAND ODDS PROBABILITY
7 card Straight Flush 5,000,000:1 0.00000021
Royal Flush plus 2 2's 2,000,000:1 0.00000047
7 card Straight Flush 800,000:1 0.00000127
Five Aces 140,000:1 0.00000732
Royal flush 6,000:1 0.00016927
Straight flush 750:1 0.00119788
Four of a kind 500:1 0.00199472
Full House 36:1 0.02717299
Flush 25:1 0.04004129
Three of a kind 20:1 0.04977518
Straight 14:1 0.07158417
Two Pair 9:2 0.23065464
Pair 5:2 0.41663862
Nothing 13:2 0.15269722

Best bonus offers for Pai Gow Poker games

Pai gow poker is the American version of the Chinese Pai gow dominos game. The game is a less intense version than other poker games but it still requires skill and you need to get familiar with the rules if you want to play pai gow poker online. The game is played with a 52 card deck plus a joker and a dealer and up to 6 players can play it at once. This game has quite a low house edge so using a good strategy can increase your payroll. Playing online pai go poker with bonus can take you a long way.

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Best Pai Gow Poker Strategies

You cannot lose your bet at Pai Gow online casinos if at least one hand is stronger than the banker's. So split your seven cards in such a way that you get the strongest possible low hand without making it stronger than your high hand. However, if you get a really strong high hand, you will win your bet.

  • Pai Gow Poker strategie - Focus on 2-card hand

    Focus on the 2-card Hand

    Most players focus only on the five-card hand and not on the two-card hand although the rules state that both hands should beat the banker’s hands. Focus on the two-card hand too.
  • Pai Gow Poker strategie - put high card in low hand

    Put High Cards in the Low Hand

    Put the card with the highest rank in the big hand and the next two highest cards in the small or the two-card hand.
  • Pai Gow Poker strategie - Split two pairs

    Split Two Pairs

    If you have received a pair of aces, high pairs, or one high pair and one medium pair, you should split them without fail.
  • Pai Gow Poker strategie - split pairs with Aces

    Split Pairs with Aces

    If you have three aces, put two aces in your five-card hand and one in your two-card hand.
  • Pai gow poker - Three of a kind

    Three of a Kind

    Unless you get three aces, put three-of-a-kind in your five-card hand. If you get a pair and a three-of-a-kind, put the pair in your two-card hand and the three-of-a-kind in your five-card hand.
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How to Start Playing Pai Gow Poker for Real Money?

  1. Choose a Casino from our List

    We have listed, reviewed, and rated several top-rated online casinos that offer online Pai Gow real money poker. Choose one that suits you best and sign up.

  2. Choose Good Welcome Bonus

    Make sure that you choose an online casino that offers a welcome bonus that is not only big but also easy to clear.

  3. Make a Deposit

    You need to deposit for two reasons – to qualify for your welcome bonus and to start playing online Pai Gow real money poker.

  4. Choose Your Game

    Navigate to the game lobby and choose an online Pai Gow variant. Usually, you can load and play the game in your browser.

  5. Take a Win

    Implement the best strategies to create strong poker hands, win cash prizes, and withdraw them to your account.

Tips to Help You to Save Money

  • 1-know-the-ules-50x50s

    Know the Rules

    Read the rules before playing Pai Gow Poker. All variants are based on standard rules, but there are slight differences you must know.

  • 2-deploy-your-joker-wisely-50x50s

    Deploy Your Joker Wisely

    The Joker serves as a wild card. Use it to create a Flush or a Straight. Otherwise, it always becomes an Ace.

  • 3-dont-avoid-banking-50x50s

    Don't Avoid Banking

    Always be willing to become a banker because that’s one of the ways you can lower the game’s house edge.

  • 4-balance-out-the-hands-50x50s

    Balance out the Hands

    Learn how to balance the hands so that your five-card hand is always stronger than your two-card hand.

  • 5-look-for-good-welcome-bonus-50x50s

    Look for Good Welcome Bonus

    Sign up at online casinos that offer large welcome bonuses as it gives you free money to play Pai Gow Poker without risks.

  • 6-practice-with-free-pai-gow-poker-50x50s

    Practice with Free Pai Gow Poker

    Understand the rules by playing free online Pai Gow Poker before wagering real money on the game.

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Lucas Goldberg
Lucas, a seasoned site editor at CasinoCanada, boasts a decade-long journey in the gambling industry with a focus on providing players with meticulous reviews and insights of online games and casinos.
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University of Toronto
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Last updated on: 20.02.2024

FAQ

🃏 What are the odds of getting a Seven-card Straight Flush while playing Pai Gow Poker?

According to gaming experts, the odds of getting a Seven-card Straight Flush are one in 676,066.

🃏 Which is the best online casino to play Pai Gow Poker?

Plenty of top-rated online casinos offer Pai Gow Poker. Check out our list and choose one of our recommended Pai Gow Poker casinos.

🃏 What is the legal age to play real money Pai Gow Poker online?

The legal age to play real money Pai Gow Poker depends on your country's gambling laws. In most countries, it is 18.

🃏 What is live Pai Gow Poker?

Live Pai Gow Poker is a real game played at a land-based casino. The action is streamed to your computer, allowing you to play from home.

🃏 Can I make a profit playing Pai Gow Poker?

Pai Gow Poker requires both skill and strategy. You can use strategies to lower the house advantage and make profits.

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